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Education and Events

Lightning Session

Lightning Session: Climate and Environment

Monday, September 8, 2025
1:15 PM - 2:15 PM US PT
Location: 2003
Bringing Climate Stories to Life: Utilizing Drama for Community-Based Climate Change Communication and Action
This session highlights the power of drama in climate change communication, showcasing how storytelling engages rural communities. Through the narrative of a dried river, participants will explore environmental degradation, its impacts, and restoration efforts. Discover how drama fosters understanding, inspires action, and empowers communities to drive sustainable climate solutions.
Presenters
Kenneth Monjero – Science Centre Kenya

Closing the Climate Perception Gap: Lessons From a Digital Interactive
Learn how a simple design change in our climate change kiosk dramatically increased visitor engagement with climate action. We'll share our methodology for measuring the 'perception gap' in climate attitudes, and demonstrate how revealing community-level data motivated visitors to get involved, and share tips for implementing findings in your institution.
Presenters
Nathan Lachenmyer – Sitara Systems
Sadiya Akasha – Sitara Systems

Exhibitizing Climate Change: Exploring Wicked Problems Without Terrifying Visitors
Climate education once overemphasized personal responsibility and threats to a distant nature. Now, institutions recognize global systemic issues require urgent, massive change. Museums can modernize exhibits to sidestep politicization, name culprits, inspire collective action, and balance honesty with hope. This talk invites shared solutions, prototypes, and effective climate storytelling strategies.
Presenters
Robb Godshaw – The Exploratorium
Jessica Strick – The Exploratorium
Robb Godshaw – The Exploratorium

From Science to Action: Cultivating Science Engagement Within Communities Through Environmental Science
This session presents data from participant interviews and surveys, revealing diverse pathways in environmental justice-focused citizen science programs. It highlights how community-based, culturally relevant programming helps youth develop a new worldview, seeing science not just as a career, but as a tool for social change.
Presenters
Alex Sanchez – The Lawrence Hall of Science, University of California, Berkeley
Sarah Olsen – The Lawrence Hall of Science, University of California, Berkeley
Aujanee Young – The Lawrence Hall of Science, University of California, Berkeley
Matthew Cannady – The Lawrence Hall of Science, University of California, Berkeley